Parkinson’s disease is an incurable neurological disorder that affects ~ 3% of the elderly population. Classified as a movement disorder, it often causes tremors, joint stiffness, and even difficulty with speech. The disease is progressive, meaning that it gets worse or does more damage over time. Although the most common and recognized symptoms are physical (tremors), the disease can also cause a number of mental or cognitive effects. Dementia, a broad term defined as a loss of mental ability beyond that of normal aging, is extremely common among Parkinson’s patients. Depression is also quite prevalent among sufferers.
In the article by Williamson, Simpson, and Murray, they argue that the progressive nature of Parkinson’s disease is connected to an increased need for care (as opposed to patients of other illnesses). The article specifically focuses on the stresses and burdens placed on the caregivers themselves, who, in this article, happen to all be the spouses of the patients. Interestingly, the article focuses more on the ‘psychotic symptoms’ of the disease, as opposed to the tremors and other physical symptoms. The authors of this article performed a study interviewing (in depth) 10 caregivers who all happened to be wives of Parkinson’s patients. The only fault I can see with this type of study is the extremely small sample size. It’s difficult to make generalizations about an entire group from the study of only 10 people. However, the study is about a very small specific group, so I think it does work.
One of the experiences that many of the caregivers had in common was confusion as the psychosis first began to develop. Many of these caregivers were simply unaware that this was a possible symptom of Parkinson’s Disease...
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...mptoms provides relief. This “it could be worse” attitude is often a helpful mindset for caregivers.
Altogether, the majority of caregivers preferred to cope by being optimistic. Since the reality of the situation is unable to be altered, the only way to deal with the psychotic symptoms of Parkinson’s is to understand the symptoms and deal with them on a day to day basis. One option that caregivers have is support groups. I find that going through a problem alone is far more difficult than going through it with others. By talking with others who are experiencing the same difficulties, caregivers can share coping techniques and relieve some of the burden.
Works Cited
Williamson, C, and J. Simpson, and C. Murray. (2008). Caregivers’ experiences of caring for a husband with Parkinson’s disease and psychotic symptoms. Social Science and Medicine, 67 (4), pp. 583-589.
Informal supports, such as aid for housekeeping and running errands, are crucial to maintaining the lifestyle of individuals with Alzheimer’s in the community; however, the disease’s erosion of physical, cognitive, and communicative abilities often creates tremendous strain for family caregivers. Individuals and family caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s often experience increasing social isolation as the disease’s progression undermines both mobility and the capacity for meaningful and appropriate engagement with the community (Banerjee et al., 2003). A number of studies have documented the physical and mental health costs borne by unsupported caregivers, and the link between caregiver stress and the institutionalization of their ill family members (Andren & Elmstahl, 2005; Banerjee et al., 2003). Taken together, the stress and isolation of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease undermine the health and quality of life of everyone involved, eventually precipitating institutionalization.
Dementia is common among a large population of elderly people. The disease affects not only the individual diagnosed, but also the caregivers that work towards making their life comfortable in the end. Understanding and learning about the disease is crucial in helping those that experience or live with someone who has dementia. The services and support that are currently in affect for elderly people with dementia and the caregivers is poor, and ineffective because of the lack of research and information on the topic.
Many people, like myself, after watching an episode of “The Michael Jay Fox Show,” started to be come curious as to what exactly this disease is. You ask yourself; What is this disease? What causes it? Can it be passed down from generation to generation? Is there a treatment? What would your life be like suffering from this? Through my research on Parkinson’s disease, I am determined to answer these questions. I hope to have a better understanding on this disease, and how it affects the lives of patients that I might see in a hospital.
(Davidson, F. G.) Due to the nature of dementia being a neuropsychological disorder, those affected by the disease tend to look like they will not require much care, which, in reality, they often require more care than the caregiver originally expected, leading to stress and burnout. Another effect caused by this can be the caregiver blaming themselves by feeling like they are failing to give proper care, which, in reality, can often be very far from the truth. If the caregiver does not receive help from anyone else, the task of watching over the victim becomes a daunting twenty for hour task. Sometimes, the caregiver won’t be allowed quality sleep. Over 66 percent of home caregivers suffer from some form of psychological or physical illness. The most common illness that is resulted from giving care to Alzheimer’s disease is depression. The caregiver needs to monitor their emotional well-being as well as the well-being as the person that they are giving care to. Usually, giving care to those with dementia is actually more stressful than giving care to those with cancer. When the caregiver is a family member and not a professional, the emotional toll is often even greater. It is important for caregivers to remember that they need to take care of themselves first and
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in the community resulting in significant disability. This global problem has consumed the lives of many. “Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year, and this number does not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected” (Statistics on Parkinson’s, 2014). Once this unbiased disease has begun to affect the patient it is a lifelong battle. Parkinson’s disease has a tremendous impact on the patient as they battle for their independence and plead for their acceptance into their own community setting. People living with Parkinson’s disease struggle with tremors, bradykinesia and rigidity. It takes a skilled nurse to be able to care for the patient suffering with Parkinson. With education, support and exercise the patient will be able to feel some sense of hope for their future. The purpose of this paper to is educate the community about Parkinson’s disease and the impact on the patient and on the nurse caring for the patient.
With more than 200,000 US cases per year, Parkinson’s disease has become a major part
In Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox, Fox uses his naturally comedic perspective to show the reader how he has dealt with Parkinson’s Disease in a positive light. Fox has shown the reader the challenges that come with such a disease and the fact that Fox has done so much in such a short period of time inspires me. The goal of COSI 109 is to help students better understand communication disorders and this book most certainly accomplishes that.
Parkinson disease (PD), also referred to as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis agitans, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the third most common neurologic disorder of older adults. It is a debilitating disease affecting motor ability and is characterized by four cardinal symptoms: tremor rigidity, bradykinesia or kinesis (slow movement/no movement), and postural instability. Most people have primary, or idiopathic, disease. A few patients have secondary parkinsonian symptoms from conditions such as brain tumors and certain anti-psychotic drugs.
Parkinson's is an idiopathic, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that attacks neurotransmitters in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is concentrated in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra. The neurotransmitter dopamine is a chemical that regulates muscle movement and emotion. Dopamine is responsible for relaying messages between the substantia nigra and other parts of the brain to control body movement. The death of these neurotransmitters affects the central nervous system. The most common symptoms are movement related, including shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with posture. Behavioral problems may arise as the disease progresses. Due to the loss of dopamine, Parkinson's patients will often experience depression and some compulsive behavior. In advanced stages of the disease dementia will sometimes occur. The implications of the disease on the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory and phonatory systems significantly control speech.
Parkinson Disease There exists a group of people who live the final years of their lives in glass boxes. They are perfectly capable of seeing outside, but incapable of reaching out to the world around them. Their emotions can not be shown through facial expression, and as their condition continues, speech also becomes difficult or even impossible. These people are men and women of all races and geographical areas, constituting one percent of the world’s population over 50 years old.
Parkinson's Disease is a perpetual, dynamic, neurodegenerative sickness of the elderly for the most part influencing individuals at the age of 60. Nearly 5 million people are suffering from this disease all over the world and 1.2 million people are suffering in United States and Canada with approximately 480 per million people are newly diagnosed each year. This disease not only affects the patient but also it is a cause of worry among patient's loved ones and family members. Though, the news of the recent disease diagnosis haunt every individual and his nears and dears but due to several support groups and societies and several scientific breakthroughs have put a ray of hope in the life of individual living with Parkinson's disease.
the role of illness characteristics, caregiving, and attachment. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 15(6), 632-645. doi:10.1080/13548506.2010.498891.
-Sonnenberg, E. 2008.Caregiver Stress: The Impact of Chronic Disease on the Family. Available at: http://www.beliefnet.com/healthandhealing/getcontent.aspx?cid=74397.Access date 21 December 2013.
Leggett, A., Zarit, S., Taylor, A., & Galvin, J. (2010). Stress and burden among caregivers of patients with lewy body dementia. The Gerontologist, 51(1), 76-85.
The Theory of Caregiver Stress was a significant breakthrough for the reasoning of why caregivers are so deeply affected by this job. “The Theory of Caregiver Stress was derived from the Roy Adaptation Model to use as basis in understanding the relationships among caregivers and the stress faced when caring for a chronically ill relative” (Tsai, 2003). The Theory of Caregiver stress is a middle-range theory used to predict the outcome for stress and other various side effects (Dobratz, 2011). These adverse effects are predicted by: Demographic Characteristics, Burden in Caregiving, Stressful life events, Social Support and Social Roles. Also, because of the multitude of different scenarios and background for both the patient and the caregiver, these categories are necessary to compare and effectively use the results. The theory makes four main assumptions regarding adaption: “environmental change; the caregivers’ perceptions will determine how they will respond to the environmental stimuli; the caregivers’ adaptation is a function of their environmental stimuli and adaptation level, and lastly the caregivers’ effectors are results of chronic caregiving such examples include marital satisfaction and self-...